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Ray in Reverse
Ray in Reverse
Author: Daniel Wallace
"Daniel Wallace brings to his role as author wit, a subtle compassion, and an offbeat originality that begins, but certainly doesn't end, with the backward unreeling of this refreshingly savvy novel." (The Boston Globe) — Regret looms large in Daniel Wallace's latest novel, Ray in Reverse, the funny and poignant story of a life, told...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780142000090
ISBN-10: 0142000094
Publication Date: 10/1/2001
Pages: 225
Rating:
  • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
 11

3.2 stars, based on 11 ratings
Publisher: Penguin Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

skywriter319 avatar reviewed Ray in Reverse on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
In the Last Words group in Heaven, Ray Williams--dead from cancer at the too-young age of fifty--relives small vignettes from his life, one per chapter, in reverse chronological order. The result, along with Daniel Wallace being a brilliant observer and incredibly intelligent with his choice of details to write about, is a poignant and sweet story about an Everyman and the ups and downs of his life.

I enjoyed this book in small bits, not as an entity: it is better read as a collection of short stories, and would only hurt your brain if you try to think of how it works (or whether it works) as a novel. As I said, Wallace's skill lies in the details and the way he so easily makes minor characters come to life. Not a bad choice for nostalgic nights in front of the fireplace.
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reviewed Ray in Reverse on + 5 more book reviews
Ray Williams is embarrassed in Last Words group where everyone in heaven recounts the last thing they said on earth, he didn't even finish his sentence. Then he reflects on the rest of his life and finds it didn't measure up either, he thinks back on his entire life, going all the way back to his childhood - when he actually was happy.


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